Sounds of Pertussis

Pertussis, also known as

whooping cough, is a po­
ten­tially deadly infection
that can strike at any age, but
is particularly dangerous for babies.
The sounds of pertussis are like no
other, marked by a “whoop” made
when gasping for breath after a
severe coughing attack.

The Reality
Pertussis can be a serious illness,
part­icularly for babies and young
children.
• More than half of babies with pertussis
must be hospitalized.
• Coughing can be so severe that
it is hard for babies to eat, drink or
breathe.
• Babies may bleed behind the eyes
and in the brain from coughing.
• About 1 child in 10 with pertussis also
gets pneumonia, and about 1 in every
50 will have convulsions.
• Brain damage occurs in 1 out of every
250 people who get pertussis.
• Pertussis causes about 10-15 deaths a
year in the United States.

Babies Are Most Vulnerable

Babies are at the highest risk for deve-
loping complications from pertussis
and dying. Ninety percent of
pertussis-associated deaths have
been among babies less than six
months of age.
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Parents are responsible for more
than half of whooping cough cases in
babies. It is easily spread because it
is most contagious during the first few
weeks of infection when symp­toms
resemble a cold. A parent, grand­
parent or babysitter suffering from
what seems like a cold can actually
have pertussis and spread the disease
to the baby.
Parents, caregivers and other family
members should be vaccinated to
help “cocoon” babies and young
children when they are most vulnerable
to the dangers of pertussis.

The Way it Was

• Pertussis was first described in
the 16th century.
• The bacteria causing pertussis
was first isolated in 1906.
• Well into the 20th century,
pertussis was one of the most
common and dangerous
childhood diseases.
• Before pertussis vaccine was
available in the 1940s, more
than 200,000 cases were
reported each year.

Adults Immunize for Children

The best way to protect babies
from pertussis is to make sure that
anyone in close contact with
them is vaccinated. Babies are

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 most vulnerable before
they can have their first
vaccine against pertussis
at two months of age.
Babies under 12 months are
still very much at risk, and children
are not fully protected until they
have received the complete course
of vaccination by age seven.
The CDC recommends a single per­
tussis booster for any adult aged
19 to 64 who is in close contact
with a baby, particularly parents,
grandparents and babysitters.
The CDC also recommends the
Tdap booster vaccine to protect
adolescents between the ages of
11 and 18.

Immunize Children
During a pertussis outbreak, children
who have received all their pertussis
vaccinations are six times less likely
to become infected than those who
have never been vaccinated.
• Children need five doses of the DTaP
vaccine by age seven. Babies are
vulnerable to infection until fully
vaccinated.
• Most children vaccinated with DTaP
will be protected throughout
childhood.

Recognizing Pertussis
People of any age can be
infected with pertussis if they are
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not vaccinated. In fact, in 2005, two-
thirds of pertussis cases were among
adolescents and adults.
Pertussis is caused by a bacterium
called Bordetella pertussis, found
in the mouth, nose and throat. It is
spread through droplets from the
mouth and nose when an infected
person coughs, sneezes or talks.
Classic pertussis usually starts with cold
symptoms (runny nose, sneezing, mild
fever and cough). After about two
weeks, the coughing becomes more
and more severe. This stage can last
for weeks and even months. It’s aptly
nicknamed the 100-day cough.
Common signs of whooping cough:
• severe coughing that sounds like
a “whoop” as the patient gasps
for breath
• a cough that brings up a thick mucus
• patients turns blue from lack of
oxygen

Patients may have 15-24 coughing

attacks a day. After an episode, the
patient often vomits and feels very
tired. Between episodes, there may
be no signs of illness.

On the Rise
Pertussis is the only infectious disease
for which children are routinely
immunized that is on the rise.
After immunization was intro­
duced in the 1940s, the number
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 of pertussis cases dropped
by almost 100 percent.
Often misdiagnosed as a
cold, pertussis may be vastly
underreported. In 2004, more
than 25,000 cases were reported,
but the number of annual cases may
be much higher.
Many factors account for the rise:
• Not all babies are getting the
vaccinations they need.
• Protection against whooping cough
from early childhood vaccination
decreases over time, and teens
and adults can become infected
repeatedly.
• Pertussis rates among adults have
gone up 400% since 1990.
• Children, teens and adults with
undiagnosed pertussis can spread
the disease to others. In fact, 90%
of unvaccinated children living with
someone who has pertussis will get
the disease.

Avoid Contact With Others

The CDC recommends that:
• People with pertussis stay home and
avoid contact with others until finishing
treatment.
• Anyone exposed to pertussis be
treated with an antibiotic to prevent
infection.

Pertussis is a year-round disease that

peaks in fall and winter during
cold and flu season.

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 How Vaccines Work
• To protect against pertussis, the
Tdap vaccine contains weak­
ened or killed versions of the
bacterium called Bordetella
pertussis.
• The body makes antibodies to
fight off the pertussis bacteria
in the vaccine.
• These antibodies remain in
the body’s immune system.
• If the body is exposed to
pertussis bacteria, the anti-­­­­
bodies respond and fight
it off.
• Protection from pertussis
decreases over time.
• Vaccination with a booster is
needed to stay protected.
• The risks associated with
pertussis, tetanus or diphtheria
infection are far greater than
the possible side effects of
the DTaP and Tdap booster
vaccines that prevent these
deadly diseases among
young children, adolescents
and adults.
• The Tdap booster vaccine
extends protection against
tetanus and diphtheria as
well as pertussis among
adults and adolescents.

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 PKIDs
Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases
www.pkids.org